The Community Agriculture Alliance is compiling a "Yampa Valley Almanac", which gathers local anecdotes, lore and information about our valley.

Below are some facts and tidbits from the Almanac...

Did you know...

• By 1913, more cattle were shipped from Steamboat Springs than from any other single point in the United States. In those early days when cattle were shipped onto trains and sent to sale, the cattle's face would turn dark black from the train smoke going through tunnels. Those blackened faced cattle would sell for a higher price because the buyer knew they came from the mountains.
• Deer and elk rutting season occurs through October and into early November. Our national forests and private land bring thousands of hunters to the Yampa Valley with rifle season beginning. Please be sure to wear "hunter's orange" when hiking, horseback riding, or hunting through our forests, and take the extra safety precautions recommended by the US Forest Service and the Division of Wildlife.
• "when the forest murmurs and the mountain roars, close your windows and shut your doors."
• It is going to be a severe winter if the middle brown band of a wooly bear caterpillar is narrow, apple skins are tough, and corn husks are thicker, Christmas falls near a new moon.
• Most of the Steamboat Ski Area is located on public land managed by the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests. The ski area and the forest service work in partnership to provide recreational opportunities to the public while protecting natural resources.
• The original Uinta Valley Reservation for the Northern Utes was established by President Abraham Lincoln in October 1861.
• " sometimes I think many of us humans have little understanding of the great scheme of nature as related to our every day life. A certain stretch of meadow, across the river where I sit to watch the sheep in the fall as they graze, always makes me feel that I do not see very far beneath the surface. I watch the autumn come each year over there, and very graciously the year lives itself out- at first, a gradual tinge of yellow in the bushes and the trees along the little creek, the fragrance of dying leaves, a faint change in the summer green of the meadow to a straw color- and then later, to old gold, but it comes so gradually, so graciously that one never knows when the alchemy has taken place." (excerpt from Margaret Brown, " the Shepardess of the Elk River Valley")
• Fall is a great time to fertilize, especially after the first few hard frosts. This time of the year fertilizing helps stimulate grass growth in pasture the following year. Even if there is a light dusting of snow its not too late-the fertilizer will still work its way into the soil. Good grass cover helps fight noxious weeks, and fertilizer will help maintain that cover.
• Also, don't forget to put down wildflower and grass seed for spring germinations, and cut back perennials to not higher than three feet tall.
• Soybean and peanut oil are being developed as a stain remover and unlike current petroleum based chemicals; it removes the stain, then biodegrades.
• In 1994, farmers had placed 36.4 million acres of their land to reserve to protect the environment and provide habitat for wildlife.
• At the end of august sand piper mom and chicks are probing the mud and shorelines looking for insects at our alpine lakes. Also cranes are staging, geese are flocking, and the bugle of elk can be heard throughout our mountain forests.
• On one acre of land, the size of a football field, a farmer might grow enough wheat to furnish your family with bread for nearly 10 years. The total value of Colorado wheat production averaged $271 million annually during the last decade. A bushel of wheat yields approximately 42 pounds of white flour or 60 bounds of whole wheat flour.
• As you drive west through the Yampa valley on highway 40 you'll notice the golden fields of local wheat just outside of Hayden. These grains are harvested in early fall by our local farmers and distributed across the state.
• When we use cattle we use about 97% of the animal. In addition to meat, which is high in protein, we get many other bi-products such as lipstick, tires, photo film, candles, paint, wax, combs, soap, crayons, boots, marshmallows, gum, and medicines.
• Top quality leather basketballs are made from cowhides. How many basketballs can be made from one cowhide?... Eleven according to the Wilson sporting goods company.
• In 1888, an English doctor prescribed three hamburger meals a day as a cure for various ailments. His name is remembered today as the name of a seasoned ground beef patty served with gravy. The doctor's name is Salisbury (Salisbury steak).
• At the beginning of august white lined sphinx moths start to appear. They are often mistaken for humming birds. Hummingbirds stick around our mountain areas until the beginning of September, then they head south for wintering grounds.
• The U.S. Department of Agriculture has estimated that about 3.5 million u.s. acres of fruits, vegetables, oilseeds and legume seed crops depend on insect pollination. Another 63 millions acres derive some benefit from insect pollination.
• With this estimate it is also noted that 80% of the crop insect pollination is accomplished by bees.
• An acre of land can produce; 24,000 heads of lettuce, 45,500 pounds of strawberries, 36,000 pounds of potatoes, 28,800 pounds of navel oranges, 14, 000 pounds of sweet corn and 1,328 pounds of cotton lint.
• In our mountain areas thimbleberries and serviceberries should be prime for picking at the end of august. A good practice for picking chokecherries is to wait until they have had a good frost so they are sweet.
• Steamboat Springs average frost free days at an elevation of 6,770 is only 59 days, however in Oak Creek the average is even less due to the elevation of 7,400 feet and it is only 49 days.
• Legend has it when it rains in August it rains honey and wine.
• Bears begin to prepare for hibernation by consuming up to 20,000 calories a day. They eat for twenty hours a day. By being omnivorous they will eat what ever they find, fruit, nuts, grass, leaves, forbs, insects, small mammals, and garbage. A female bear on the western slopes can weigh 250 pounds, and mails 350 pounds. Fall is the most dangerous time of year for bears, as they are most likely to come into contact with humans. As their natural food supply gets low they tend to wander into residential areas feeding from bird feeders, pet food bowls, compost piles, and garbage cans. We can protect bears and our property by keeping garage and other temptations inside.
• Routt County produces over 100,000 tons of hay every year which is sold locally, regionally, and shipped to the Front Range. So when you see your neighbors out and about on our county roads please be courteous and cautious about slow moving farm machinery.
• One way to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in rain barrels is by floating one tablespoon of olive oil on the waters surface. And at this time of year aphids can be on everything, but a safe and effective method of treatment and control is to spray a mixture of dish soap on the affective plants, shrubs or trees with a high pressure hose.
• The Yampa Valley is blooming--Alpine flowers fill our high mountain meadows, forests, and some pasture areas with fragrant flowers and colors this time of year. These wildflowers usually hit their peak around the middle of July, this year it may be a little earlier due to the drought. Some of the wildflowers you might see in the flat tops are the mariposa lilies in the valleys, mariposa means butterflies in Spanish.
• A great method for creating good gardening soil is by composting. Simply dig a ditch about 18 inches deep and fill it with old coffee grounds, cornmeal, veggie scraps, and sawdust. Add some helpful worms to their new home and cover loosely with excavated soil and grass clippings. Keep adding organic material and water as needed.
• The rodeo is a tradition of the west stemming from ranching operations that required cowboys to break and train horses for roping, sorting and handling livestock on unfenced ranges. Often the most frequent spur-of-the-moment first rodeo matches happened after a round-up or a cattle drive. Early rodeos took place at Hayden, Steamboat Springs, Oak Creek and Mt. Harris in temporary arenas formed by circling horses and later automobiles. With celebrating about 99 years of rodeo history in the Yampa Valley this summer offers many opportunities to watch the sport at the weekly Steamboat Springs professional rodeo series at Romick arena, the Routt county fair and rodeo, or at local jackpots and ranch rodeos.
• 75% of the nation's wildlife live on farms and ranches. Agricultural lands serves as a natural preserve, supplying animals with abundant food and habitat.
• Milkweed was used in life jackets in World War II and now is being turned into stuffing for pillows and comforters.
• Today only 27.3% of Americans live in rural areas and only 1.9% live on farms.
• Colorado turf grass growers raise 100,000 acres of grass used for recreational purposes such as golf, parks, soccer, baseball and softball, and 20,000 acres of grass used by industries to beautify their work environments.
• On July 25th 1875 James H Crawford filed land claim for the first settlement in Steamboat Springs, and on July 4th 1876 the first American flag was flown over steamboat springs.
• Colorado is the 4th largest cattle-feeding state. It has over 10,000 beef producers and nearly 3 million cattle.
• July 15th is St. Swithin's day. If it rains on St. Swithin's day it will rain for 40 days.